I would like to wish all our customers and friends a very merry Christmas. Head office is closing at lunchtime (After we've done our secret santa of course), but don't forget that the sale has already started online and our stores are open on Boxing day with our biggest sale yet. Eat, drink and sleep well. Best Wishes Adam

We have now drawn a winner for our online ‘Win a bed competition’ to win a Henley bed in Nickel. Congratulations to Miss Rose from Lancashire , we hope you enjoy your stylish new iron bed.

According to the New York Times: " Vladimir Kagan is one of the most important furniture designers of the 20th century. Furniture designed by him in the forties, fifties and sixties have become icons of Modernity and an obligatory reference to every designer. He is the creative grandfather of a whole new generation of designers. " So let’s look at the man who shaped modern furniture and won the 2009 Award of Distinction from The Furniture Society … Born in Germany in 1927, Kagan travelled to the US in 1938 and attended Columbia University where he studied architecture. In 1947 he joined his father Illi Kagan, a master cabinetmaker, to work in his shop and to learn furniture making. A year later Kagan opened his own shop on East 65 th Street and then moved to the more fashionable 57 th Street. Today, Kagan is a highly sought after man. His prize winning designs can be found in books, magazines and private collections worldwide, as well as within the permanent collections of the V&A London, Vitra Design Museum, and Dies Neue Samlung in this home country of Germany. After producing some of the world’s most beautiful furniture, we thought we...

Now that winter has its seasonal grasp on us all, it’s time for those well needed snug reinforcements. It’s such a shame that we just can’t go into hibernation until March and simply envelope ourselves in our duvet until we hear the birds sing their introduction to spring. If only. The duvet is synonymous with comfort and warmth, so it’s essential that yours is clean and ready for some serious laying-in time at the weekends. Admittedly the thought of washing your duvet is a little discouraging; “what’s the best way to clean it”, and “how often do I have to” are all common questions from our customers, particularly at this time of the year. (Image by static.guim.co.uk) We appreciate the importance of looking after your duvet, as we believe it will then look after you! Your bed is a haven for bugs and bacteria, so it’s imperative you maintain a hygienic sleeping environment to eliminate those nasty unwelcome guests. Follow our simple but effective tips below and you can look forward to a fresh and snug night’s sleep. When dust mites or body odour infuses your duvet, that's the sign to clean it. Shake out your duvet from time to...

Primitive lamps date right back to 70,000 BC and was when cave men would burn animal fat in hollow rocks, along with moss and other similar material so that they could see in their dark caves. The Greeks used terracotta instead, and burned traditional wicks which allowed more control over the flame and burning. The Greeks called these ‘lampas’, meaning torch, which of course is where the word lamp is derived. The 18 th Century saw the creation of a tight metal enclosure and an adjustable metal tube which encumbered the flame and then controlled the oxygen supply to it. Little glass chimneys were added shortly after to protect the flame from being blown out. Ami Argabt – a chemist from Switzerland - first coined the design of these lamps in 1783. In 1792 gas lighting became commercialised and popular when William Murdoch used coal gas for lighting his Cornwall property. Freidrich Winzer then patented coal gas lighting in 1804 and a ‘thermo Lampe’ which used distilled gas, was patented just before that in 1799. In the early 19 th Century most of Europe and many states of the US enjoyed gas-lit streets, however, this soon gave way to low...

Rugs have been around since the early days of human civilisation. Historically they’ve been a key feature in the homes and palaces of eminent aristocrats across Europe and Asia, as well as practical and traditional furnishings for tribal families throughout Africa. This broad spectrum of society and status highlights the habitual versatility of a rug and even today they complete a home, irrespective of where this home happens to be. As far back as 2000 BC, rugs, as well as clothing, were made from animal hides such as Ox and Boar, and provided primitive families with invaluable warmth and shelter. As cultures evolved and became more skilled, they were then cleverly crafted from woven reeds, taking weeks to make, but resulted in being the family’s most valuable commodity. Evidence attained from ardent researchers has highlighted that pile rugs were in fact widely used in the Middle East and pockets of Asia long before 2000 BC. Rearing sheep was also an accustomed occupation for many nomadic wanderers and this wool was a primary reason why sheep were bred, even ahead of food. The dense wooly covering of the hide was used to protect against the harsh weather and these communities soon...

It was so cold this morning the temperature gauge in my car was flashing at me. I don't know about you but I certainly find dragging myself out of my lovely Feather & Black bed in the mornings is hard enough already without the chill factor too. Here are our top 5 tips to keep warm at night... Invest in some super snuggly nightwear. Thermals make great night garments. Try our friends Hush for gorgeous brushed cotton pyjamas. Use a Goose down mattress topper to create that duvet snuggly feel underneath you and contain your body heat. Choose a mattress with a winter side using more filling to insulate you during the night. Try our Bronte pocket sprung mattress. Have a hot bath and a nice warm drink to raise your body temperature before you go to bed. This will also relax you and make you feel more sleepy. Zzzzz Go for a higher tog duvet for the winter. An all seasons duvet gives you a winter and summer option with a 4.5 tog and a 10.5 tog duvet that you can fasten together to keep you ultra snug. What are your tips for keeping warm at night?

As much as we may not want to admit it, we’ve all experienced an unwelcome distraction when getting intimate with our loved ones in bed. The bedroom is our place of solace, escape and, ideally, free of resonant interruptions and noises. However, this isn’t always possible, and unless you have the luxury of a sound-proof love nest, you have to tolerate them – or invest in ear plugs of course! (Image from craveononline.com) So, here at Feather & Black we thought we’d compile our Top 10 distractions that could potentially, ruin the moment, but the good news for our customers is that we can help with a few of them. 1) The phone ringing or receiving a text 2) The kids or the baby crying 3) Bed frame rattling 4) A car alarm going off 5) The pet dog or cat 6) Neighbour’s rowing or music 7) Alarm clock 8) Flat-mate walking in 9) An uncomfortable mattress 10) Their spouse walking in(!) How many can you relate to? That’s your business of course, but we can make No. 3 and 9 on this list our business. We can’t accept a rattling bed frame at Feather & Black, which means we...

With three weeks until Christmas, the gift shopping is now well and truly upon us. I’ve noticed the shops are already extremely busy and I’ll certainly be opting to do mine online this year. Beat the crowds by visiting our website where you’ll find some great bits and pieces to give this Christmas. Bed linen is a lovely gift idea. There’s nothing better than sliding into crisp new sheets, especially after a belly full of Christmas dinner and a few too many glasses of bubbles. A cushion or throw is a great gift for under the tree, or perhaps your home deserves a gift this year? Practical presents are well received with Lamps and handy storage items available to buy online. We have some gorgeous colourful children’s linens , toys , cushions, throws . Gift wrapping for me is always the headache after what seems like endless shopping. Unless you’re super creative, it can be a bit of a bore, and somewhat fiddly. I always have visions of how beautiful everything will look and in reality it never works out that way with far too much sellotape and crinkled wrapping paper. Country living magazine have come to the rescue with...

The House Beautiful awards took place last week at the Riverfront Cafe on London's trendy Southbank. This year we were shortlisted for "Best Bedroom Product or Range" for our Salisbury furniture collection but unfortunately lost out to Hulsta at the final stages. Well, we can't really complain we have won gold the last two years running for our Comfort Control Mattress and Olivia Furniture Range . Bring on next year!

It's the 1st December and Christmas has come early at Feather & Black. This weekend we're giving you a sneaky peek at our January Sale with an i n store and online preview. On Saturday and Sunday only we'll be giving you up to 50% off our bedroom collection where you'll find everything you need to make your home your own. Give yourself an early festive treat. Merry Christmas Adam Black